# Refreshing Beverage Menu Expansions Panera Bread Debuts Energy Refreshers and Frescas By Kalin Ned | Published 2026-03-11 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/energy-refreshers References: [joplinglobe](https://www.joplinglobe.com/region/national_business/the-perfect-sip-for-any-moment-panera-bread-launches-new-energy-refreshers-and-frescas/article_250844fe-32a1-5453-8e03-8282d5c2d2dc.html)  [Panera Bread](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/little-big-treats) has expanded its beverage menu with the nationwide introduction of two new categories — [Energy Refreshers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ironcore-transformer) and Frescas. This announcement signals the growing availability of caffeinated and caffeine-free options crafted with real fruit ingredients. Panera Bread's Energy Refreshers include a Dragonfruit Sunset variety featuring pineapple and tropical dragonfruit flavors with visible fruit pieces, and a Passionfruit Paradise blend combining passionfruit, guava, and orange with fresh pineapple. Each provides a moderate amount of caffeine suitable for those seeking an alternative to coffee. The Frescas lineup consists of a Cherry Lime blend infused with tart cherries and a returning Strawberry Basil Lemonade made with Agave Lemonade and strawberry puree. Alongside the Energy Refreshers and Frescas, the bakery-cafe chain has also introduced a Dubai Style Chocolate Pistachio Cookie — a chocolate cookie filled with pistachio cream and topped with chocolate drizzle and pistachio pieces. Image Credit: Panera Bread ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.7/10 - Popularity: 65% | Activity: 68% | Freshness: 68% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) > [New Ventures](https://www.trendhunter.com/newventures) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Functional Fruit-forward Beverages:** Menus increasingly feature real-fruit ingredients and visible pieces that elevate perceived freshness and create new product tiers between juices and soft drinks. - **Caffeine-alternative Energy Options:** Moderately caffeinated and caffeine-free formulations are emerging to capture consumers seeking sustained alertness without traditional coffee formats. - **Global Flavor Fusion:** Exotic combinations like dragonfruit-pineapple and passionfruit-guava signal a shift toward cross-cultural flavor blends that broaden mainstream taste palettes. ### Who This Affects Most - **Quick-service Restaurants:** Menu expansions into crafted refreshers and frescas can redefine beverage channels within QSRs by offering premium, fruit-centric alternatives to soda and coffee. - **Beverage Manufacturing:** The demand for real-fruit inclusions and varied caffeine profiles could drive novel processing, packaging, and cold-chain innovations in beverage production. - **Retail Bakery-cafes:** Pairing specialty cookies with signature refreshers points to new co-merchandising formats that blend bakery indulgence with beverage-driven repeat visits. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Caffeine-Free Summertime Cafe Drinks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-tim-hortons-refreshers.md) - [Cold Brew Energy Teas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cold-brew-energy-tea.md) - [Mix-at-Home Cafe Drink Concentrates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/starbucks-refreshers-concentrates.md) - [Icy Caffeinated QSR Drinks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wendys-sparkling-energy-drinks.md) - [Refreshing Bakery Beverage Ranges](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/panera-specialty-drinks.md) - [Summery Non-Carbonated Energy Drinks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/celsius-fizzfree.md) - [Fall-Ready Musician Cafe Drinks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dunkin-daydream-refreshers.md) - [Fruit-Forward Summer Refreshers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gavin-casalegno.md) - [Italian Cafe-Inspired Refreshments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/italianinspired-menu.md)